Update 28 April: Thanks to Nigel and Wendy Armitage for the photos above of the burnt out lorry responsible for this scare.

Update 9.20pm: As the above photo shows, the ferry is now safely back in harbour. Thanks to Bart Bogaert, as always.

Update 8.45: Naviera Armas has said that the fire was caused by a lorry on the ferry, and they have had to cancel all today’s departures from Los Cristianos for La Gomera and La Palma, and tomorrow’s between La Palma- La Gomera and Los Cristianos. Passengers booked on a ferry tomorrow with destination Los Cristianos will be able to use their tickets on the Benchijigua Express.

The company went on to say that thankfully this was no more than a scare, and that after bringing all safety protocols into play, the fire was extinguished without problem, and the ferry is now heading to Los Cristianos harbour. Naviera Armas expressed thanks to everyone involved in the incident, and to Fred Olsen for the rival ferry company’s support.

Original post 25 April: Passengers on the Naviera Armas Volcán de Taburiente ferry from Los Cristianos to La Gomera have been taken on deck with life jackets on after a fire broke out on the vessel while at sea. No-one is reported as injured, and at the moment the origin of the fire is unknown. Two Salvamento Marítimo helicopters are currently over the scene escorting the ferry back to Los Cristianos. Police sources say that one of the helicopters is only just back from a training exercise this very day.